Elah
Valley
View from
Azekah
The best view of the valley
is from the commanding hilltop of Azekah. This strategic city was wisely
fortified by Rehoboam, and it was one of the last cities to fall to the
Babylonians in the invasion of Judah in 586 BC. The valley below is the
location of the battle of David and Goliath.
Elah Tree
The valley gets it name from the Elah tree, a type of oak or terebinth tree. This large and old Elah tree still remains in the valley, reminding visitors of the day when trees proliferated in the Shephelah (cf. 1 Kings 10:27).
Adullam
Located on the east end of the valley is the site of
Adullam. This place proved to be the perfect place for David to hide in
his initial flight from Saul. As it today rests on the border between
pre-1967 Israel and the West Bank, so in David’s day, this site was apparently
in “no-man’s land” where he could stay safely out of the path of Saul or the
Philistines.
Cave of Adullam
1 Samuel 22 says that David hid in the “cave of Adullam.” Today there are many caves at the site and it’s not clear which one or ones David used, as many have been used and modified in the years since. While he was here, 400 men who were in debt, distress or discontent, gathered around David.
View of Valley from Socoh
This panoramic view of the
Elah Valley from the south is an approximate view of what the Philistine army
saw as they faced the Israelites in the battle commonly known as “David vs.
Goliath.” The Philistines were encamped on the south side of the valley
and King Saul’s forces occupied the hill on the northern side.
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